Preamble
WHEREAS, cancer ranks among the first five killers of mankind throughout the world; WHEREAS, the nationwide incidence, morbidity and mortality from cancer in the Philippines is rising as compared to the reduction of communicable and other diseases; WHEREAS, cancer, a complex disease, spares no social class and strikes regardless of sex, age and social status; WHEREAS, it is one of the goals of the New Society to provide first class cancer management for all, most especially the rural and urban poor; WHEREAS, the National Cancer Control Center of the Department of Health was created to plan, establish and carry out an effective nationwide program of cancer prevention detection, diagnosis, pre-treatment evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, and continuing care through a nationwide promotion and application of the available and new methods for reducing the incidence, morbidity and mortality from cancer; WHEREAS, the National Cancer Control Center has assumed the leadership and is now the nucleus and coordinating body for all cancer work in the Department of Health; WHEREAS, the National Cancer Control Center is presently studying and evaluating the cancer problem in the Philippines and formulating effective nationwide policies to solve this problem; and WHEREAS, the ultimate goal of the government, through the National Cancer Control Center, is to totally eradicate this disease which causes so much misery, suffering and death among our people; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree: